Posts Tagged ‘local producers’

We’re celebrating two of our favorite local cheeses for August and September – Fresh Mozzarella and Toma from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese! Most Bay Area folks are familiar with their award winning blue cheeses – but Point Reyes also crafts great cow’s milk cheeses that are perfect to enjoy every day.

The Giacomini Family has been operating a dairy farm just outside of Point Reyes Station for generationsnow and their 500 Holstein cows graze on the rolling green hills that overlook Tomales Bay. Delicious, high quality milk from these cows is the not-so-secret ingredient of Point Reyes Farmstead cheeses – whether it’s a ball of milky fresh mozzarella or a wedge of buttery Toma.

We’ve got plenty of suggestions of how to enjoy and pair these two cheeses for any occasion! Be sure to stop by the Markets and ask a Monger for a taste!

With the Fancy Food Show in town, Raph took some time to tell you about some of the fantastic local, artisanal food products that he’s highlighting at our Markets. To accompany them, we’ve also got a wide selection of great spirits and beer that are proudly crafted right here in San Francisco. Here are a few that I’m particularly excited about this season.

Sutton Cellars Vermouth – A thicker-bodied, grapey vermouth that tastes beautiful all on its own over ice. Crafted from a base of Sonoma white wine and infused with botanicals, including rosemary from the bush near the winery.

No. 209 is a San Francisco gin distillery owned by the Rudd family (owners of Rudd Oakville Estate Winery and Dean & DeLuca). They pride No. 209 on being a “handcrafted, unique and intriguing spirit that is truly artisanal in quality”.

Junipero Gin, which was given the “Best Gin in Show” award at the 2012 NY World Wine and Spirits show, is made by hand in a small distillery in the Potrero Hill section of San Francisco. Anchor Distilling Company, which produces Junipero Gin, also produces Anchor 18th Century Spirit Whiskey, hand-crafting from a mash of 100% rye malt.

Speakeasy Betrayal is a seasonal release from this San Francisco brewer. It’s an Imperial Red Ale with flavors of caramel and malt and hints of tropical fruits. With its rich mouthfeel and full body, it pairs well with stew steak.

Almanac Biere de Chocolat is a collaboration between nomadic farm-to-barrel San Francisco brewers Almanac and our friends at the phenomenal San Francisco chocolatier Dandelion Chocolate. The result is this rich, decadent, dark and smoky beer.

You can find all of these local products in our Made in SF display at Bi-Rite Market on Divisadero, and just ask for them at 18th Street and we’ll be happy to help you out. We hope you enjoy these products from our friends and neighbors as much as we do!

It’s that time of year! The Fancy Food Show is back in our beloved city by the Bay. As food-lovers, we consider ourselves fortunate that this premier event for specialty food makers comes to San Francisco every year. And as the Grocery Buyer for Bi-Rite, it’s always a thrill to try new products from outstanding food artisans, and to welcome them to our stores to meet our staff and peruse our shelves.

Those shelves are stocked full of delicious foods from great local producers, and to celebrate all the visitors from near and far to the Fancy Food Show, we are highlighting some of our local favorites this month. Visit the displays marked “SF Made” and you’ll see why!

Boozely’s Pickles are made by Brad Boozely, one of our neighbors on 18th Street. Brad comes from a long line of picklers and his love for the art shows in the crisp, tasty crunch of his pickles. He supports local farmers with his selection of produce.

We Love Jam is a two-person operation where literally everything, from recipe development to cooking to graphic and web design, is done in-house. The owners have forty years of combined experience experimenting in the kitchen, and work directly with local family farms to source the best fruit possible for their amazing jams.

Hey Boo Coconut Jam, one of our most popular “SF Made” products! Coconut jam, also known as Srikaya in Indonesia, has been consumed for hundreds of years in Southeast Asia. Hey Boo’s San Francisco version is slow-cooked in in small batches using high-quality natural ingredients. It has a silky smooth texture with a golden color and a rich creaminess that is achieved by cooking the ingredients according to traditional Srikaya-making techniques.

Dandelion Chocolate are neighbors and great friends to Bi-Rite Market, and are a favorite among our guests and staff. From their location in the Mission District, they operate a bean-to-bar chocolate factory where temper small batches of beans and then mold and package each bar by hand. They have close relationships with their cacao growers and have prioritized sustainability since opening in 2010. Stop by for a visit while you’re in the neighborhood!

Kika’s Treats, another neighbor, was founded in 2006 by Cristina Arantes, who produces pure chocolate-covered confections using a variety of alternative sweeteners and is committed to using the finest locally-sourced ingredients to make her delicious treats. She also gives back to the community through in-kind donations to local non-profits by donating 5% of net profits to La Cocina, a non-profit food incubator in San Francisco that helps low-income entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

All of these products will be highlighted at both of our Market locations, so stop by for a look, chat and taste. We look forward to sharing these products from our friends and neighbors with you!